


What About Ronon and Teyla?

by seikaitsukimizu



Series: Return to Normalcy Verse [4]
Category: Stargate - All Series, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode Tag, Episode: s03e10 The Return Part 1, F/M, M/M, SG-1 Crossover, SGA Big Bang Challenge 2007, Season/Series 10, Stargate Atlantis AU, Stargate Atlantis Big Bang Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-24
Updated: 2012-12-24
Packaged: 2017-11-22 05:06:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/606132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seikaitsukimizu/pseuds/seikaitsukimizu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"So what about Ronon and Teyla?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	What About Ronon and Teyla?

**Author's Note:**

> [Originally posted on LJ in 2008.](http://seikaitsukimizu.livejournal.com/137110.html)

Once Rodney is officially on his team, John doesn’t think too much about SG-1, General O’Neill, or the Asgard. No one’s exactly sure what’s going on, only that it involves the end of an era. Even Rodney, who can berate anyone into revealing anything, can’t ferret out any information. They’re gone a number of months, months where his team--when not looking after Lemuria--get some of the non-Ori missions that were initially assigned to SG-1.   
  
Then after one mission involving Jaffa terrorists and an alien bar where Lorne almost got lucky by simply nodding his head, John and his team are barely off the ramp when there’s an unscheduled off-world activation. He, Lorne, and Cadman move to shore up the marines team, while Rodney and Chuck head for the control room. There’s a few tense moments, then, “Defense team stand-down. Clear the Gate room.”  
  
The order’s from Siler, who John still doesn’t like as much as Chuck, but knows to follow his commands quickly. He takes his team upstairs to join Rodney, and feels his eyebrows raise at the sight of General O’Neill on the monitors. “So not trouble,” he whispers to Rodney.  
  
He can tell Rodney’s holding back a snort. “It’s O’Neill. There’s always trouble.”  
  
 _“I heard that, McKay. Colonel Sheppard?”_ John steps forward as O’Neill waves at him. _“Things work out for your team?”_  
  
“Yes, sir.” He grins, ignoring the eye-rolls and smirks he knows the rest of SG-20 are giving him. “How’re things in Atlantis?” The biting, burning resentment isn’t as intense anymore, but it’s still there. Now, he can hide it, except from Rodney. And maybe Lorne.   
  
_“Just fine, just fine. A bit busy, what with saving the Asgard. But all’s well that ends well.”_ He looks down, and John knows that from that angle the General’s looking at the Gateroom floor. _“The_ Odyssey _will be home in a few weeks, but I thought I’d send the team home in style.”_ A second later, a Puddlejumper flies through the event horizon and stops mere feet from smashing into the concrete wall. _“I had my buddies here send through what Wraith weapons they had. Oh, and Colonel?”_ O’Neill grins in a way that makes John very wary of what’s coming next. It’s the same grin he had back when he introduced John to the research outpost in Antarctica. _“There’s a gift for you and your team on board. Enjoy it while you can.”_  
  
“We will, sir. Thank you.” He can’t see what the gift might be through the jumper’s windshield, and it’s through the upper doors less than a minute later.  
  
 _“General, I’ll be dialing in later.”_  
  
There’s affirmations from Landry, but John’s mind is already wondering what gift the General would send through. Weapons against the Ori ships would be nice, but that’d be more for the SGC than him. A look to Rodney reveals glazed eyes and near-drool. Obviously, he thinks it’s an ZedPM. Nudging Rodney none-too-gently with his elbow, he jerks his head toward the door. “Well, let’s see what the General sent us.”  
  
“Well, we know it’s not a ZPM,” Lorne says. Rodney opens his mouth, but Lorne barrels on. “He said it was for all of us, Doc. Don’t think we’d have as much fun with a power source as you would.”  
  
Rodney scowls, but the fact that he doesn’t counter Lorne’s logic is pretty much an admission to the fact that the Major is right. Cadman starts mentioning alien explosives, and Chuck is, as usual, smiling and listening, but not contributing anything. John knows that means he already knows what the surprise is, or is dealing with the emotional turmoil of seeing Atlantis in the background. In some ways, John thinks Chuck’s worse at dealing with emotions than he himself is.  
  
Entering the Jumper lab, the second ship is already open and SG-1 is milling about. Cameron is overseeing Teal’c unloading cargo. Sam is on the phone, probably reassuring Pete that she’s not dead in some alien prison. Daniel and Vala are talking--well, Vala’s talking, Daniel’s pretending to listen and smirking that ‘I know something you don’t’ smirk the instant John and his team enter.  
  
Rodney immediately heads for the Jumper, but before he gets two feet a looming form snatches him from the ground and lifts him in the air. Rodney lets out a very unmanly shriek that John knows he and Laura will tease him about for weeks as he’s swung around a bit. John’s simply staring, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, as Rodney’s shrieks transform from noise to yelling.  
  
“Yes, yes, I’m glad to see you too, you big oaf now put me down! I’m getting airsick and you’re crushing my ribs! Down! Down! This is Earth and the proper greeting is a handshake! I’m not five years old!”  
  
There’s a deep, rumbling laugh that’s rough and a little wild and then Rodney’s back on the ground. “Missed you, McKay,” Ronon says and glances at them, giving them a full-toothed grin.  
  
John stares because, well, because it’s Ronon. Here. On Earth. And…well, it’s not Christmas or his birthday but damned if this doesn’t seem like both at once. He can feel Lorne step up beside him and Cadman’s just grinning like a loon and Chuck, Chuck is bouncing on his feet. None of them are moving, though, waiting for his lead. John mentally shakes himself out of it, then relaxes and gives Ronon a smirk. “Great to see you, big guy.”  
  
Ronon gives Rodney a slap on the back, hard enough that Rodney winces, but then McKay is giving the alien a brief, awkward hug, before shoving him towards the rest of the team. “Enough. You’re making me look soft in front of my ex-team.”  
  
“You were always soft, Rodney,” Vala chimes in. “Especially in the middle.”  
  
“Har, har. See if I bring you any more shiny trinkets from alien worlds.” The glare Daniel gives both Rodney and Vala causes Cameron to laugh. John ignores them as he and Lorne get their own manly slaps of welcome. He punches Ronon in the arm and Cadman practically hangs off Ronon’s neck for a minute. “Oh, I see how it is,” Rodney huffs, crossing his arms as Ronon high-fives Chuck.   
  
“We’ve simply missed you, Rodney.”   
  
Rodney spins around, and the rest of the team’s attention quickly focuses on Teyla as she steps out of the jumper. She looks the same, at least until John looks below her neck. He actually has a moment of conflicting images, the Teyla he remembers and the Teyla he’s seeing now.   
  
Rodney, of course, gets over being stunned first. “Wow, you got fat.” The serenity disappears from her face for a minute, but only until Ronon reaches out and slaps Rodney upside the head. “Ow! Do you know how many brain cells you‘ve made me lose!”  
  
“Less than if Teyla got to you with her sticks. She can still kick your ass.”   
  
“But this is a joyous occasion, and so I won’t.” She steps forward and rests her forehead against Rodney’s. He flushes, and mumbles something John can’t hear, but Teyla steps away smiling, squeezing Rodney’s shoulders before heading towards them. She gives the Athosian greeting to everyone else, saving John for last. “John.”  
  
“Teyla.” John hesitates, because this is more than just stopping to say ‘hi’. She’s crossed two galaxies while pregnant. A little bit of his old life come just to see him. He ends up staring into her eyes for a few solid minutes before he brings his forehead to hers. He’s not much to initiate contact, except with Rodney. But this is Teyla, and they share something he doesn’t even have with McKay.   
  
“It’s good to see you again,” she says softly. “We have missed you.”  
  
“I’ve missed you too,” he replies just as quietly. And if his throat is a little tight and he’s a little reluctant to let go, well, it’s just the adrenaline. He did just return from a mission, after all. When they finally pull apart, Ronon’s grinning and has one possessive arm wrapped around Rodney’s shoulders in a manly hug. “So,” he says, “welcome to Earth.”  
  
Rodney doesn‘t break his focus. It‘s not always a trait John loves about him. “If Ronon did this to you Sheppard owes me a week’s pay. Also, if it’s a boy, I think you should name him after me.” He looks very proud, directing a smug look towards John.  
  
“If it’s a girl, I think you should name her Meredith.” That wipes the smug right off Rodney’s face.  
  
“Ronon did not ‘do this’ to me.” Ronon slaps the back of Rodney’s head again, then crosses his arms and hovers beside by the glowering scientist. “My chosen’s name is Kanan, and,” she looks at both John and Rodney with slight exasperation, “I do not know the gender of my child. We don’t have the technology you possess on New Athos, though rebuilding is going well now that the Wraith are gone.”  
  
“Oh, well, we can help you out with that. Send you back with a few things...”   
  
Rodney’s about to go off making lists and plans and John knows he needs to derail it now or they’ll never get out of here. “So!” He claps his hands loudly, startling Rodney. “What say we go grab some dinner?” He pokes his thumb over his shoulder. “We just got back from a mission, so we need to be checked out, then we’ll head home and order out.”  
  
“Ohh.” Rodney’s eyes go a little glazed. “That’s right! I said if you were every on Earth you had to try Thai, and Chinese, and Mexican, and-”  
  
“We’re not ordering one of everything, McKay.” John motions for Lorne and the rest of his team to start moving. SG-1 is still hovering by the Puddlejumper unpacking things, or watching, amused.   
  
“Why not? Between Teyla’s appetite and the Bottomless Pit, I don’t think we’d have to worry about leftovers.” Teyla gives Rodney a reproachful glare. “What? Jeannie’s eating everything that’s not nailed down. I just assumed-”  
  
“Jeannie is pregnant,” Teyla interrupts. “When is she due?”  
  
“What? Yes. And not for a while. She‘s only six months along. Hey, how long is an Athosian pregnancy?” John notices that his old team easily falls into old habits. Rodney is distracted chatting with Teyla and Ronon is guiding McKay just by his being in the scientist’s peripheral vision. It’s both heartwarming and heartbreaking to see.   
  
There’s a quiet sound from beside him, and he discovers that Lorne has fallen back so they‘re walking side by side. In a low voice, he asks, “Do you want the team and I to vanish?”   
  
It’s tempting, very tempting. Having Ronon and Teyla here means that they can have a team night, just like the old days. Except it’s not like the old days, and though his gut reaction is to say yes, Lorne and Cadman and Chuck are as much his team as Ronon and Teyla are. “What, and miss out on the smorgasbord McKay‘s planning?”  
  
“I’m just saying, sir.” Lorne glances back, to make sure they haven’t been heard. John knows Ronon is probably listening to every word. “We’d understand if you’d like a day or two. Cadman and I have paperwork, and Chuck-”  
  
“Evan,” John knows he’ll be heard if he switches to Lorne’s first name, “you missed them too. It’s okay for you guys to be there.” He grins. “We’ll make it an Atlantis team night. Cadman and Chuck can crash at your place.”  
  
Lorne hesitates, but a quick glance at the other half of John’s team seems to make up his mind. “Alright. But if McKay and Ronon start singing, we’re outta there.”  
  
“If they start singing, I’ll be crashing with you guys.” And then they’re at the infirmary, and Ronon sprints forward to give Carson a hug from behind.  
  
~*()*~  
  
Despite John’s protests, Rodney dials every delivery restaurant in the Colorado Springs area by memory and, genius that he is, gets them all to deliver in a ten minute window. Lorne and Cadman show up about the same time laden down with alcohol and spirits and Chuck, ever the thoughtful one, has a case of sparkling cider for Teyla. Ronon inhales the various ethnic foods at a pace practically matching McKay and John’s half terrified his hand will end up being eaten when he reaches for an egg roll.  
  
There’s stories of the SGC and discovering Lemuria and who Vala is and the current goa’uld situation and then they’re out of beers and Cadman and Chuck are doing their impressions of various SG teams. Lorne is a quiet drunk, but keeps fondling the television remote, and Carson and Rodney talk shop over pregnancies and what to expect. John smiles and laughs and just absorbs the presence that is Ronon and Teyla.   
  
Eventually, Lorne gathers up the listing Laura and chuckling Chuck--and okay, maybe John’s had a little too much to drink too--and he’s alone with the core team. Carson’s passed out on the couch, and Rodney, who can hold his liquor far more than John ever expected, is shoving another slice of pizza into his mouth. Ronon is gnawing on KFC and Teyla is reclining, sipping on a half-empty glass of water. A content quiet fills there air.  
  
Then Rodney coughs softly. “So how did it happen? They weren’t…we didn’t get many details.” He doesn’t specify, but John feels himself sobering up, grateful that Carson’s knocked out for the evening. Pushing himself up a little in his seat, he leans forward, resting is elbows on his knees.  
  
Ronon and Teyla exchange a look, but Ronon ducks answering by stuffing three pot stickers in his mouth. Teyla lowers her head for a minute and takes a deep breath. “We were not aware of the change, at first. A trader heard from a supplier who heard from someone else that they witnessed a great fire in the sky. And then there were more stories. Ash raining after a flash of light, ruining crops on one planet. A culling interrupted for no apparent reason, the people abruptly returned.”  
  
“The Genii told us,” Ronon says as he swallows the food. “Found a grounded hive ship, decided to try and blow it up with a nuke.” John frowns and he can see Rodney purse his lips. The Genii remain a sore spot to this day, especially with everything Koyla did. “They were on their way,” Ronon continues, “when a great silver ship suddenly appeared and destroyed the hive on the ground with energy weapons. Wraith didn’t even fight back.”  
  
Teyla takes another sip of water. “They sent messengers to many worlds, to try and find those responsible. Those worlds sent messengers. No one knew what had happened.” She looks down to her belly. “Having seen the Asgard vessels before, we had an idea what was going on, but since we could not contact the Ancestors…”  
  
“So when did you know they were gone?” Rodney flaps his hand to the air. “As in gone, gone?”  
  
“Three months. No cullings. Then these guys with twigs in their hair appeared.” Ronon scowled. “They said they’d helped rid the galaxy of the Wraith, and that they hoped we would prosper now.”   
  
“They called themselves the Nox.” Teyla shifts in her seat, and John starts looking for a pillow to give her to help her lower back. “And that if we ever wished to learn the ways of the Ancestors, we were welcome to join them on the world of the Cloister.”  
  
Rodney snorts at that. “Of course. That’s what the Nox do best. Never mind the fact that this is their home, that they could help us fight the Priors and their armies here. Oh no, they go to the one galaxy probably best protected from the Ori and-”  
  
“I told them to go fuck themselves.” John has to stare, because he’s almost never heard Ronon use Earth vulgarities. Ronon shrugs at his look. “They left. Things are doing better. Except for the Travelers.”  
  
“Ronon,” Teyla chastises.  
  
“Travelers,” John can’t help but repeat. They’d never encountered a race name that in the three years they’d been in Pegasus. At least, he didn’t think so.   
  
Teyla sighs. Obviously this was something she was going to hide while visiting. “The Travelers, in an effort to escape the Wraith, built great ships to live in space. They no longer have a planet, but travel to others to trade and, as of late, raid.”   
  
“Because they’re the only space-faring race there is now. At least, the only one that gives a damn about-” Rodney’s red-faced, and John’s very doubtful it’s the booze. “Have they-”  
  
“We have not had any troubles. New Athos is bountiful, but rebuilding takes much of our resources. There is not much for them to take. But I have heard of other planets, trading partners, that have lost excess harvests and medicines to these people.”   
  
“Least the Bola Kai are easy now.” John raises his eyebrow at Ronon. “Scavengers. Bullies. But they run at advanced technology. The guns you gave us are enough. And the Genii offer to hunt them down for trade.” He shrugs and digs around the Indian containers, looking for some leftover…something. John hates Indian food, but Rodney insisted. “Since the Wraith aren’t decimating planets anymore, they’re getting desperate, making mistakes.” He grins. “Easier to hunt.”  
  
John sits back. The war’s won, but apparently new ones are cropping up. He could help them, too. Take the _Weir_ or the _Sheppard_ or maybe even the _Peter Grodin_ and kick some alien ass. Except he’d have to get the ships away from Lemuria, have to travel to Pegasus and try to stay under the radar of the Ancients lest they come and take the ships, the city, everything.  
  
The IOA would never approve of such a mission, afraid of losing their shiny new fleet and their best defense against an Ori incursion. Sons of bitches.   
  
“It is not as bad as it sounds, John.” Teyla smiles. “The Wraith are gone. My child will grow up not knowing the fear of a culling. It is more than…any of us could dream.” She smiles. It’s not exactly a happy one, but there’s no sorrow that he can detect. “The war has ended, and though we were not directly responsible, you did contribute greatly. Without your efforts, the Ancestors would never have returned, and I would have been culled long ago.”  
  
“I’d be dead.” Ronon’s stopped picking through the take-out cartons and is now looking at the various half-drained bottles of alcohol. “Doubt I’d have been able to run much longer.” He sniffed a bottle of scotch. “You guys are wimps. No where near as strong as Satedan drinks.”  
  
“Well excuse us for not being a world of muscle men out to prove their virility by drinking each other under the table.” The tone didn’t hold Rodney’s usual bite, and John could see that his eyes were soft, glazed. Ronon ignored it, taking a taste of the vodka. “So, um, are you two…” Rodney squirms in his seat, jostling one of Carson’s arms in the process. Rodney could be just as bad at John with emotions. He still has trouble even asking Jeannie how she feels.  
  
Teyla merely smiles. “We are content, Rodney. We do miss you, and Atlantis. But our galaxy is free, and that,” she let out a relaxed breath, “that is all we have ever wished.”  
  
“Well…good. Good.” Rodney nods.   
  
“However,” Teyla let out a huff of air, “I do require some help out of this chair.” Ronon is immediately standing, using his arms to help her lever herself upright. “Rodney, which way is your bathroom?”  
  
“It’s down-”  
  
“I’ll take you,” Ronon rumbles. “Bigger than the one on Atlantis.”  
  
“For what we’re paying, it should be,” Rodney says to their retreating backs. He looks at Carson, then over at John. John glances down the hall, then pushes himself out of his chair and moves to sit beside Rodney. Shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh, and one of Rodney’s hands sneaks its way over to hold one of John’s. He’s staring hard at the ground, and John is about to ask how he’s doing even though it’ll feel like crawling through gravel when Rodney’s hand tightens. “I miss it. Them.” A beat. “All of it.”  
  
John sighs and feels himself lean back. “Me too.”  
  
“I want to help, but-”  
  
“The IOA.” He can feel Rodney nod beside him. “Think we could take them to Lemuria?”  
  
“Shouldn’t be too hard to sneak them there without the big wigs catching wind in time to stop us.” Rodney’s gaze has moved to the coffee table. John may have to slap his hand if he tries to eat something else. “You know--never mind.”  
  
John nudges Rodney’s shoulder with his own. “What?” Rodney stays silent. “McKay.”  
  
“I was just…I knew he was…well, I didn’t know but….” He lets out a huff. “I was hoping. Kind of.” He sneaks a look out the corner of his eye. “Ford. I mean, if the Asgard were saving people from hive ships…”  
  
John feels himself tense, but the tight feeling in his chest doesn’t last long. It can’t. He’d had to come to terms with Ford a long time ago. Deep down he’d still hoped that, somehow, the marine had made it off the exploding hive ships, but if he hadn’t tried to contact Atlantis or the Asgard hadn’t brought him in by now… “I know.”   
  
“I’m sorry. I mean…I just…” Rodney squeezes his hand again. “Seeing them, it…if you don’t want to talk about it-”  
  
“It’s fine, Rodney.” Only it isn‘t, not completely. But Rodney knows how to read him, understands him better than anyone, and after pressing his leg closer for a minute he lets go of John’s hand and gets up. He wobbles back and forth on his feet for a second, then goes into the kitchen. He comes out minutes later with a giant black trash bag and that cleaning gleam in his eye. Leave it to Rodney to not leave a mess for morning. With a put-upon sigh, John scoots to the edge of his seat and starts stacking the empty cartons together.  
  
Ronon reappears as Rodney’s wrinkling his nose at the left over gai pan. “Teyla took the bedroom by the bathroom.” He glances to Carson taking up the chair, then at the couch which is about two feet too short for him. “You got some extra blankets?”  
  
“Yeah, I’ll just…” John sucks the worst of the sticky…something from his thumb and wipes the rest off on his jeans before standing and heading for the closet. “Need the sleeping bag?”  
  
“Naw. Floor’s fine.” He reaches over John’s head for a spare pillow. “You and McKay?”  
  
“We’re good, buddy.” John smirks. It wavers a little under Ronon’s scrutiny, but not by much. “Really,” he says in a more solemn voice. “Just a little…”  
  
“Yeah.” Ronon takes the blankets from John’s hands. “Oh-six-hundred.”  
  
“You got it.” John closes the door as Ronon disappears into the guest room--’John’s’ room officially--and goes to collect his cleaning scientist.  
  
That night Rodney curls up against him and tucks his chin over John’s shoulder and tangles their legs together and holds on tight. It’s hot and a little strenuous, but John doesn’t mind. He needs grounding from dreams of Atlantis, too.  
  
~*()*~  
  
The next morning he and Ronon run around the neighborhood, then into town to pick up donuts and coffee, and make it back by eight to find Carson cursing and holding his head and Rodney cheerfully not hung-over and playing music for Teyla’s baby. John quickly distracts Rodney from Teyla’s womb because he doesn’t want to be a gay widow and if Teyla’s smile gets any more strained that’s exactly what’ll happen.   
  
Lorne and Cadman, looking green and unable to even stand the smell of food, appear with Chuck, who looks as non-hung-over as Rodney. It’s a cruel Canadian conspiracy, Lorne tells him later, and John can only nod, though the run with Ronon did help clear his head pretty well. Then it’s back to base for a formal debriefing for Teyla and Ronon and John’s team needs to get their reports in from the mission yesterday.   
  
By the time John’s done, Vala’s gotten wind that John’s team is going to show Teyla and Ronon around and has dragged them, along with Rodney and Daniel, to the local mall. John and Lorne take in the gleeful look on Cadman’s face and decide to head home and fix something for their hijacked teammates to eat. Rodney hates the mall with the fire of a thousand suns, and he’s seen Ronon go feral in markets before. So maybe a barbeque, he reasons.  
  
He invites Carson, which, in hindsight is a mistake because he mentions it to Cameron and dinner is suddenly for SG-20 and SG-1. Which of course means John needs to buy a new grill. A big grill. A big fancy one that Lorne drools over for a few minutes and one of these days he’s going to have a talk with the Major over inappropriate crushes on his appliances. SG-1 is good enough to bring drinks and side dishes--save Sam because, well, no one wants food poisoning--and soon enough there’s a relaxed, cool vibe in John’s backyard.  
  
Then their missing teammates appear. Daniel is carrying a million bags, which means Vala is probably carrying his wallet. Teyla zooms through the crowd and into the house thanks to a pregnancy bladder. Ronon has crazy look in his eyes, but then spots Teal’c and Cameron doing some sort of martial arts and heads over to either join in or kick asses. Rodney opens and closes his mouth a few times, throws his hands up, and goes over to the new barbeque, grumbling under his breath.  
  
“Thanks, McKay,” he says, though he refuses to give up his spatula. It’s his grill, damn it.   
  
Rodney scowls. “You totally owe me. Also, Vala shops like a banshee. And we are finding a way to terrorize all the kids in the area so I never, ever, have to deal with them hugging onto my legs and asking inane questions ever again.” He looks at the various types of meat on the grill and points to the ribs. “Are in you insane?! You can’t give Ronon ribs! Haven’t you ever seen him eat?!”  
  
The evening turns out pretty well with John torn between watching Ronon and Cameron eat. Different galaxies, and yet somehow they’ve both adopted the same style of consuming food. Rodney bitches through most of the meal, picking mock fights with everyone until Lorne steps on his foot, which has Rodney sputtering and the table laughing and Lorne ducking behind Cadman for the rest of the evening. SG-1 heads off and John brings his extended team inside for a movie marathon. It’s fun and cozy and Teyla’s not stopped smiling and Ronon’s poking the growling McKay.   
  
It’s perfect, and it has John wondering how they’ll all cope when they have to separate again.  
  
The next day Rodney kidnaps them all to Canada so Jeannie can see Teyla and Ronon and exchange baby tips. Madison falls in love with Ronon’s hair and starts asking why Uncle Mer doesn’t have hair like that, resulting in him and Jeannie laughing a solid five minutes. The next day, John brings them to Antarctica to show them the snow, and Rodney has fun showing off the Ancient outpost and Merlin’s cave. Radek says a lot of excited things in Czech when he spots them and Rodney tells him this is all he’s getting for his birthday.   
  
India isn’t quite as big a success.  
  
“Ronon, Teyla, it’s good to see you.” Elizabeth gives them both big hugs. John accepts his stiffly, not reciprocating. Rodney, arms crossed and mouth curled in a frown, steps back when Elizabeth moves towards him. He hides it well back home, but John knows Elizabeth’s retreat hit him really hard, and it’s not easy for Rodney to forgive, especially after their last meeting.  
  
Elizabeth’s smile falters, but she doesn’t push the issue. “I didn’t expect to see you,” she says to their visiting aliens. “Do you have long?”  
  
“I’m afraid we must leave tomorrow,” Teyla gives Rodney a long look, but smiles gently at Elizabeth and carefully seats herself in the sole chair in the room. Ronon leans against the wall, and Rodney joins him. John tries to sit gracefully, but in the end just sort of falls on the floor pillows provided. Obviously Elizabeth’s taken up meditation in her off-hours. “It is…amazing. You have often said your world is diverse, but I never imagined…”  
  
“Yes.” Elizabeth offers a sad smile. “If only everyone here appreciated how unique our diversity is.”  
  
“So you’re here studying the Ancestor’s texts?”  
  
Elizabeth ducks her head. “I’m here helping the Dalai Lama--a spiritual leader--negotiate the return to his native land without fear of imprisonment or death. But yes, many of Buddhism’s teachings are derived from the Ancients’ guidelines to ascension. In my spare time I study the spiritual texts. It’s fascinating to compare the original texts to what they’ve become.”  
  
“Why aren’t you helping fight the Ori?” Ronon has pulled out a knife and is polishing it, but his eyes are on Elizabeth. “Or governing the other lost city. Lerma.”  
  
“Lemuria,” Rodney automatically corrects.   
  
“I thought that’s what you did,” Ronon continues.  
  
Elizabeth nods, but John knows what’s coming next. “After Atlantis I…I felt like I had to adjust my focus. Almost three years running the city…I wanted to return to making peace, making the world a better place.”  
  
“Not much use if there’s no world left.”  
  
“Ronon.” Teyla’s voice is stern. He just shrugs. “We understand, Elizabeth. Leaving Atlantis was…difficult. For all of us.”  
  
 _Especially me_ , but John doesn’t say it out loud. He’s gotten really good about not saying what he’s thinking around Weir.  
  
“We are glad you’re conducting work you enjoy.”  
  
“Thank you, Teyla.”   
  
Rodney ducks behind a partition, leaving Elizabeth and Teyla to chat. John counts to ten, then pushes himself up, ignoring the crick in his knees as he does. Ronon’s eyes follow him as he leaves, but he doesn’t say anything. It takes a little walking around the temple, but he finally spots Rodney on a stone bench behind the ridiculously large bell. His arms are still crossed and he’s still glaring, but now it’s at the river nearby.  
  
John sits beside him and finds himself mimicking Rodney’s posture. He could talk about how Elizabeth needed to do her own thing, or about how he knows exactly what Rodney’s feeling, or that they should be the bigger men and get over it. Instead, they simply sit in silence until Ronon finds them a while later doing the hungry walk and making noises about getting back to their house to see the last Alien movie.  
  
The day the SGC is going to dial in to Atlantis, John gets Rodney and the rest of his team--past and present--up early and checks out the Puddlejumper to do a fly by of their new lost city. “One day it’ll be on Mars,” Rodney explains, “but not until I fully decipher the terraforming systems, and not until the Stargate program is declassified which, if I have anything to say about it, will be very, very soon.”  
  
Teyla likes the design of the buildings, and Ronon keeps asking Lorne about the weapons systems. They swing into the jumper bay and walk the corridors. Rodney keeps up a dialogue explaining the transporters and differences between this city and Atlantis and the space ships that would’ve given the Wraith a run for their money. They don’t make it to the command tower as they put off going to the city till last and they have to leave before they can even visit some quarters.  
  
At the SGC, John hangs back with Rodney as Lorne, Cadman, and Chuck leave. The jumper is going back with Teyla and Ronon--the Ancients developed an autopilot program just for this occasion, which he supposes was nice of them--so they have to say their goodbyes here. Ronon crushes Rodney’s ribs again and Teyla leans their foreheads together and Rodney leaves with suspiciously watery eyes.   
  
Ronon steps forward first, giving him a bone-crushing hug and manly slaps that jerk his lungs about. “Kick some ass, Sheppard. And don‘t let McKay get any flabbier.”  
  
“No problem, bud,” John wheezes out. “Shoot Koyla for me.”  
  
Ronon gives him a wicked grin and goes to the front of the jumper. John turns to find Teyla already reaching up and John closes his eyes as their foreheads meet. His heart is hammering and he wants to say things like ‘don’t go’ and ‘I need you’ and ‘we can make this work’. He swallows loudly. “I really liked seeing you,” is what he finally grates out. “I hope you visit. After the baby’s born.”  
  
“I would like to. I believe you and Kanan would get along.” She’s always been hard for him to read, but in this case he can tell she’s holding back as much as he is. “It was good to see you. All of you. Next time,” there’s a moment of hesitation, one that has John squeezing her shoulders, “we will make sure there is a next time, John.”  
  
John nods subtly, careful to not dislodge their connection. “You take care of yourselves. If the Genii-”  
  
“We’ll handle them, John.” She pulls back. “If it’s a boy, we have agreed to name him Sheppard.”  
  
He can feel his ears turning red. “That’s not really a first name.”  
  
“It is closer to our traditional names than John.” She leans forward and kisses his cheek. “We will see you again soon.”  
  
“Yeah.” He watches as she joins Ronon in the cockpit. It’s a lie, because SG-1 won’t be heading towards Pegasus any time soon, and the Ancients don’t like being Grand Central for ‘lesser cultures‘. But it’s a lie he wants to believe in. It’s still not easy to leave, though, and it takes Rodney sending Lorne in to pull him out to finally get his feet to work. He stands beside Rodney as the jumper powers up and flies down to the Stargate.   
  
That night, Carson and the rest of his team end up crashing at his place after reminiscing about Atlantis. No one blinks twice at John guiding Rodney to bed and not coming back out of the room. He knows it’s a risk, but tonight, tonight he needs to be with Rodney, with the strongest reminder that this is home, even if it’s not Atlantis.   
  
In the morning, as he steps over Carson and takes in his team sleeping around the living room, he figures he wasn’t the only one.

**Author's Note:**

> Some of the many questions asked in the reviews to The Return to Normalcy was "Is John ever going to see Teyla and Ronon again? Will they go to the Pegasus galaxy now that they have ships? What happened when the Wraith were defeated?" Now, I have to admit, I never intended to write Teyla and Ronon into this world, but this little glimpse took hold of me and wouldn't let go.


End file.
